


Revolution of the Heart

by Omagatoki



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Cliche, Developing Relationship, Drinking, F/M, Family Issues, Forgiveness, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Magic, Mental Health Issues, Military, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Politics, Post-Final Fantasy VIII, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebels, Smoking, Sorceresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26113717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omagatoki/pseuds/Omagatoki
Summary: Rinoa Heartilly returns to Timber to keep her promise of liberating the town.  Leaving the confines of Balamb Garden and the protection of Squall Leonhart she must navigate the changed world of rebellion she left behind.  When her past can no longer be avoided the young sorceress will learn that revolution is indeed a matter of the heart.
Relationships: Mentions of Past Rinoa Heartilly/ Zone, Past Rinoa Heartilly/Squall Leonhart - Relationship, Seifer Almasy/Rinoa Heartilly
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is finished but I am still in the editing process so it may take me a while to upload all of it.

Chapter 1-

Autumn came early to the island of Balamb and with the summer season notoriously short most of the yearly tourists had left a few weeks ago. The train that evening was relatively empty and as Rinoa Heartilly stared out the window of her semi private cabin she pondered over the events of the last few years that had set her on this path. Her fingers combed absently through the thick fur of the little shepherd whose head rested in her lap. Since the final argument the other day Angelo had been abnormally subdued.

The train rocked back slightly as it pulled out of the station, the rumble of its engines somehow signaling a strange finality. It had been three long years. Three years since a group of young mercenaries had prevented a disaster of unknowable proportions. Three years since the Time Sorceress, Ultimecia had been defeated. Three years since Rinoa Heartilly, successor to Hyne’s magic, had been inadvertently held captive in the gilded cage that was Balamb Garden. Now she had forced the door open, her clipped wings regrown and as the train slid into the transcontinental underwater tunnel Rinoa finally felt like she could breathe again.

At first, like so many fairy stories, things had been wonderful. The night of the celebration had been nothing short of magical. It was a night of many firsts; the first time Squall kissed her, the first time they had made love. Squall fumbling awkwardly with her bra straps in the dark, his hot hands tentatively searching over her porcelain skin. “Is this ok?” He whispered and her answer had been dragging him to the single size bed in his private dorm room. That night Squall Leonhart had been nothing but a love sick teenager, full of nerves and self-doubt. That night he was not the youngest commander ever elected into an official Garden position. That night he was not a hero and Rinoa Heartilly was just a girl from Timber who had changed his world. That night had been perfect.

The next few weeks flew by in a whirlwind and the names of the young mercenaries and their sorceress companion were all anyone could seem to talk about. Suddenly the six of them were rocketed to fame and any sort of privacy became non-existent. Public press conferences, televised interviews; the world was dying to know what had transpired in the mess of time compression. They wanted all the nitty gritty details. The newspapers, tabloids and magazines were all running stories on the now almost mythical teenagers from Balamb. Their entire lives had been cracked open for the whole world to see. Everything from the mundane to the ridiculous; their orphan past to how to achieve Selphie Tilmitt’s increasingly popular hair flip. In some ways the sudden stardom of the heroic mercenaries had kept the public’s attention…at least for a little while. 

Amidst the chaos though the world was also waiting with baited breath. The trial of the infamous war criminal Seifer Almasy was being scheduled to take place. Locked away in Balamb Garden’s brig he was much harder to get information on and those in the know were not letting anything about him slip through the cracks. The general consensus was to let him rot in D-District prison but he was finally deemed too dangerous to risk transfer and so stayed under the watchful eyes of his former comrades. 

Rinoa shivered as the memories washed over her and Angelo nudged her hand affectionately with a cold, wet nose. They were deep beneath the ocean now and the lights from inside the tunnel that ran along the clear tube illuminated their surroundings in eerie blue. At one time she had found the whole trip fascinating. The ability to look out your train window and see the fantastic creatures of the deep had been amazing. Rinoa had spent her first trip to Balamb with her face pressed excitedly against the glass. The oceans of their world were one of the few places left that were home to a plethora of native species. While the lunar cry dropped monstrosities onto the planet none had made their way towards any of the water sources. Now the large aquatic animals swam past in silence and she barely took note of their presence.

After people’s initial interest died down things began to return to a somewhat normal routine within Balamb Garden’s walls. While the ability to keep the facility mobile was still in effect it was deemed it would be better for the students and staff if it were to remain stationary as much as possible. Garden pilot; Nida Warren had done a fantastic job of settling the large structure back into the crater it had left behind in the Alcauld fields. Engineers had then been brought in from FH to do repairs and get the whole thing back up and running smoothly again. Within the space of six months you could barely tell that Balamb Garden had been mobile at all.

During all the excitement Rinoa and Squall’s relationship somehow had managed to flourish. Once the official paperwork had been processed they moved out of the dorms and into a newly built wing, specifically for Garden staff and their families. Edea Kramer had been instrumental in the process, insisting there be a place for everyone that wanted to stay. It provided quite a large space for the two to sprawl out in, though they rarely made use of all the amenities. Still, it was like having their own little apartment and at the time had seemed the most natural course for them to take. They were both legal adults in the eyes of the law and there was no reason they should not be allowed to live together. Everyone had been supportive.

For a while it was easy for Rinoa to play at domesticity. Squall would leave early in the morning and sometimes get back very late into the night but somehow he always managed to find the time to spend with her. While he was gone Rinoa would busy herself with cleaning up the place, taking Angelo for her daily walks and practicing with her Shooting Star . As time wore on though she began to grow bored and antsy. During a quick lunch in the cafeteria with Selphie the petite brunette had suggested that Rinoa might take some classes to fill her time with. Balamb Garden was after all not only a school for mercenaries but also one of the top secondary schools in the world. Many students who studied at Balamb had no intention of even taking the SeeD exam. She could finish up her schooling while living with Squall. At least inside the Garden she would not be hounded by the press and curious civilians.

It did not take long for Rinoa to make up her mind and the next morning she went to speak with the newly reappointed headmaster Cid directly. Of course she could take classes, he had assured her. Was she interested in taking the SeeD exam? No, in fact she was not. Though she had no intention of leaving Garden or Balamb any time soon she did not exactly fancy working for them. Cid had given her no grief about it and happily helped her set up some courses. It really was a boon for Rinoa as she had dropped out of her school in Deling at fifteen to run away to Timber. At the time her only concern had been getting out from under her father’s thumb. Rinoa had not exactly considered the long term consequences of such actions, though she regretted none of her time in Timber with the Forest Owls. Now she could get her education taken care of and keep occupied while Squall was busy with his commander duties.

It had taken her a little over two and half years to complete enough classes to receive her secondary diploma and while she had been older than most of the students in her graduating class it still gave her a sense of pride. It had not been easy and it was during that time she started to notice those around her beginning to treat her differently. It was not until she had gone to Edea with her concerns that she fully comprehended the reason for it. 

She was a sorceress and though Rinoa herself had done nothing to make the other students afraid she carried the stigma of the title with her. Even though things were changing she was in a facility that had originally been built to train those around her to defeat sorceresses. It would take time for people's mindset to change.  
Around the same time rumblings of civilian disquiet began to surface. Though Ultimecia had been vanquished, the public craved to actually see someone punished for all the chaos and destruction that had happened. Merely hearing of the Time Sorceress’ defeat was not enough anymore.

The obvious choice was Seifer Almasy and for the first time Balamb Garden began to feel pressure to set a date for his trial. Though Rinoa knew Seifer was being held in the confines of Garden, up until that point she had been content to simply ignore the fact. With the added pressure from neighboring nations being broadcast she could no longer pretend the issue did not affect her. Nightmares began to plague her sleep and they had gotten so bad that Squall convinced her to see Dr. Kadowaki for some mental support.

Unable to postpone the inevitable any longer Seifer was finally brought to light. His trial was scheduled for autumn of the coming year and there was another explosion of media frenzy. The first public image of him since his capture was released. Rinoa was shocked to see the man that stared back at her from the front page of the Balamb Daily Gazette. He looked haggard; worn down. His haunted eyes looked out from a face that was far too thin for his six foot frame. Captivity and isolation had turned Seifer Almasy into a ghost of the man he had once been. For the briefest moment Rinoa had felt something other than outright rage and she had flung the paper away feeling disgusted with herself.

As the trial date grew closer and the pressures of Squall’s title weighed down on them they saw less and less of each other. Rinoa tried to throw herself into her studies but more often than not would end up in the training center; running the treadmill or slaughtering nests of grats. She was imposing her own sort of isolation because no matter where she turned there was Seifer’s face staring back at her. The television panel in their suite had not been on in weeks and she refused to look at the paper that was dropped outside their door every morning.

To Squall’s credit he had tried to talk with her about the whole thing when he managed to slip away early one evening. His efforts resulted in their first real argument. She could not understand Squall’s hesitation, did not understand why the trial had taken so long to come about in the first place and why it had been insisted Seifer was kept at Balamb Garden through the whole thing anyway. The situation made her skin crawl and she finally had fled to the shower, the hot water steaming her skin pink, before she could finally get her head righted around again. When she had gotten out Squall had been gone.

Rinoa let out a sigh and chewed her bottom lip for a moment. She supposed at this point there was really no way of escaping the memories that threatened to swallow her. Alone except for Angelo, in the quiet of the train she had nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. She glanced briefly at her watch. It would still be another two hours before the train arrived in Timber.

The day of Seifer’s trial came and she had refused to go. She did not want to see him even if it meant getting the satisfaction of hearing his execution sentence. Squall tried his best to persuade her. The others were going; to get up on the stand and testify. Didn’t she want to add her voice to theirs? Their second argument ensued and as Squall left, dressed to the nines in his commanding officer uniform, Rinoa had pulled the covers over her head and sobbed herself into a fitful sleep.

Her dreams would not give her reprieve however and in a few hours she had gotten up. Angelo followed at her heels around the suite as Rinoa numbly made coffee. This was it. She just had to get through today and Seifer would be a bad memory. For a moment she considered going to the cafeteria to get some food but decided against it. The trial would be on everyone’s lips and she absolutely did not need a play by play. Instead she had found some crackers in the cupboard and spent the rest of the day disassembling and meticulously cleaning her Shooting Star.

The next time she looked up was only because of Angelo’s insistent chuffing and she was surprised to find the light was already fading outside. Reluctantly she decided both her and the dog needed some air so she had ventured to the Quad hoping things would be quiet. Try as she might not to listen, bits and pieces of conversation had found her ears none the less and she learned that the jury was still in session. With a huff she wondered what was taking them so long. Squall and the others would be gone for the next five days.

Pardoned, Seifer Almasy had been pardoned with the stipulation of mandated therapy and surveillance until he was deemed mentally sound again. Due to his actions he would never be reinstated as a student. Rinoa was in shock along with most of the watching world. After everything he had done... She had spent the rest of the afternoon in numb silence and when Squall finally appeared at a quarter till midnight she wanted to scream at him. To ask him what the hell had happened and demand answers. Instead she had avoided him or at least tried the best she could. Squall managed to stop her before she could flee to the training center however. He did his best to explain. Held onto her tightly as she shook in his arms and smoothed the black tresses of her hair back from tear stained cheeks. Neither of them brought up Seifer again after that.

Another year passed and surprisingly Seifer Almasy’s name had dropped nearly into obscurity. Had the trial gone differently and he had been executed things might have been different. As it stood not a single report on his whereabouts or status had been made after the trial. It was as though Balamb Garden had done everything in its power to make him disappear and they had done a bang up job of it.

Things also began to change for Rinoa. She was finishing up the last of her classes and would be graduating soon. The thought lingered strangely on her mind and unsettled her, though it should have been a happy and exciting occasion. A week before the commencement ceremony she received a letter from Watts of all people. The standard greeting; how have you been? Are you happy on Balamb? That sort of thing filled the first few paragraphs but then he began on about the situation in Timber. Things were bad, worse than ever really. The military was doing everything in their power to keep reports out of the press even going so far as to shut down Timber Maniacs with the reasoning that the staff were connected with rebel factions. It of course was a lie but they had effectively cut off the only written press coming out of Timber. Fabricating whatever information put the Galbadian military in the best light was an easy task now.

The tone of the letter had nearly been pleading, though Watts did outright ask her to come back. His words cut her deeply though and she knew she could not bide her time in Garden any longer. She kept the letter and even now it sat safely tucked away in her bag. That had been the day Rinoa Heartilly remembered she had promises to keep.

Graduation day came and went and as Rinoa accepted her diploma from Headmaster Cid it was not an entirely happy occasion. Some of her friends had been missing from the crowd. Several months earlier Selphie decided her heart belonged in Trabia and had wiggled her way into an assignment to assist with repairs to the missile damaged Garden up north. Not surprising, Irvine Kinneas had been sent on that same assignment. Trabia Garden was a long way from being completed and according to Selphie the assignment was indefinite.

Quistis as well was unable to be present. Although she and Rinoa had never developed the type of bond she and Selphie had she still considered them friends. The blonde was currently in Esthar working with president Loire and did not have a set return date.

Zell and Squall had been there though and while the martial artist cheered her on with great gusto Squall looked on with a quiet smile and pride in his eyes. At the time it had made her happy to see him so pleased with her accomplishments. That was the last time she had seen him smile though.

Several days later Rinoa went through her things and dug out the old contract Cid had given her nearly four years ago on that fateful night of the SeeD inauguration ball. Plucking up her courage she had made the trek to Squall’s office, walked in and placed the document on his desk. 

“I need to go back to Timber.” She said in a voice that was more shaky than she would have liked it to be. Rinoa knew what she was asking. Due to his current position Squall would be unable to go with her but if she was lucky Zell might be available and surely there were other SeeDs that could go with her. 

“No.” 

Squall’s answer was not what she wanted to hear. Did he not care how important this was to her? Did he not understand that she was losing herself confined to Garden like some prisoner? She had done nothing wrong. That started the final argument. 

Squall tried his best to explain. If she left she would no longer be under the protection of Garden. Had she forgotten who she was? Sorceress. As long as she held connections with Squall Leonhart and Balamb Garden they could keep the heat off of her. On her own she would become an easy target for a world constantly looking to pin the blame on someone. Being a sorceress automatically made her suspicious in many people’s eyes. 

She hated the way he had refused to look at her. Rinoa was furious. She had done absolutely nothing to warrant that kind of fear from people. At least, nothing the general public knew of. Did the world already forget her role in the battle against Ultimecia? Were her past victories not enough to redeem her of the stigma that Hyne’s magic placed on her? Besides it was not like she was some child who could not take care of herself. They did not have to publicly announce that she was leaving. It would be nothing like when her and Squall took trips together. If she could leave without everyone making a fuss things would surely be fine.

In the end it did not matter; she was leaving with or without the help of Garden and its SeeDs. Rinoa could not stand to spend one more moment in Squall’s office. She snatched up the paper and left to go pack, leaving Squall with his hand to his face and worry written across his scarred brow.

That night had been one of the hardest of Rinoa’s life. She read Watts’ letter over and over again. While she loved Squall she could not leave her friends and her one time home abandoned any longer. They had managed to talk things through a bit after Squall returned to the suite that night but Rinoa had already made up her mind. Timber needed her to finish what she had started. What she was reluctant to admit was that she needed it just as much. Laying there in the dark neither of them slept, their arms barely touching under the weight of a chocobo down comforter.

Rinoa thought back to this morning and how Squall had tried one last time to get her to reconsider. Almost pleaded with her to give him some time, let him pull some strings and at least get her some Intel on what the situation in Timber exactly was. He did not want her going in there blind; did not want her going at all. She had refused saying her best bet was to get it directly from Watts and Zone. They would be able to update her quickly on the situation and…she wanted to leave. The confines of Garden were starting to make her feel claustrophobic. Her deteriorating relationship with Squall did not help matters.

Reluctantly Squall excused himself and with a quick kiss to her forehead returned to the mounds of paperwork no doubt burying his desk. Rinoa spent the rest of the morning trying not to think about their cold goodbye and writing to Watts telling him she would be in that evening. She dropped the letter with the courier before making one last round of Garden, Angelo hot on her heels. She was unsure if she would ever see it’s shining walls again.


	2. -Chapter 2-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between surgery and a few continuity errors this chapter took a little longer to edit but I'm pretty happy with how it came out. In game it's impossible to tell how many floors the Timber hotel has so I just picked four floors randomly. I also added the lounge area but tried to keep everything else as cannon as possible. Please enjoy!

-Chapter 2-

Rinoa felt the force of the engine pull her forward slightly as the train’s breaks engaged. They would be arriving at Timber station shortly, a curt voice piped over the car’s PA system. Urging Angelo off her lap she quickly unpacked a light weight hooded jacket and pulled it on. With a quick sweep of her hands the long, dark strands of her hair were gathered in a tail and tucked under the concealing hood. The chances of someone recognizing her were slim but it was not worth the risk. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself.

Angelo tilted her head inquisitively as Rinoa pulled her hood up. The dog pranced from foot to foot, wagging the little stub of her tail before going over and nosing at the sliding door to the cabin. She definitely had enough of this waiting around business. They were somewhere new and she wanted to leave the cramped compartment and explore all of the sights and sounds Timber had to offer.

Hefting her bag over one shoulder Rinoa stepped out into the train aisle with Angelo hot on her heels. The passenger car was nearly empty but she could hear the sound of cargo being loaded onto the train at her back. As an island, what Balamb could not produce on its own was shipped in and it had to pass through Timber to get there. Besides water craft the only other way the island was accessible to most people was the underwater rail line. It was the island’s only physical tether to the continent.

The conductor gave her a slight nod when she exited the train but otherwise paid her no mind. To Rinoa’s chagrin though the platform, unlike the interior of the train, was packed with people. Her eyes glanced up to a clock standing resolutely tall above the masses. She had arrived during the evening rush and everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get wherever they were going. 

Among those on their evening commute home was also a good bit of cargo being bustled about as well. It was pretty clear that Galbadia was making use of Timber’s prime location as a major transportation hub. The last time Rinoa had been here four years ago, even with the occupation, Timber had been a fairly quiet town. Now its streets seemed almost as busy as Deling.

Adjusting her bag Rinoa moved down the platform and exited the main stairs that opened onto the city square. In the rush of people no one seemed to pay her any attention and she was glad for it. Her eyes automatically scanned around looking for the changes that happened to all cities with each passing year. Many of the buildings were the same; even the pet shop right next to the train station still seemed to be open for business. Maybe she would drop in and pick up a treat for Angelo.

Before she could make it to the door of the shop however her footsteps stalled. Amongst the throngs of people Rinoa began to count Galbadian soldiers. They were on the train platform, at the bottom of the stairs and nearly every street corner had one or two. The number seemed out of place for what appeared to be a fairly normal section of the city. The fact that they were all blatantly armed and with their rifles at ready stirred a long lost fire in her belly. No wonder people were in such a hurry. Now that she really looked Rinoa could see the effect the soldiers had on the populace. Most kept their heads down and walked at a quick pace. There was very little conversation and most of the noise around her came from ambient background sounds.

She called Angelo closer to her and decided to go on ahead to the hotel instead of making the extra stop. Perhaps the soldiers presence would not be as dense away from the station. Rinoa set off down the street, taking a right at the old Timber Maniacs building. Sure enough it’s door and windows were boarded shut, the ‘m’ in Timber hanging pitifully at an angle from a broken bracket. She remembered coming here with Squall and getting stuck listening to the editor in chief talk for almost an hour. The smoke in the room had been so thick she thought she was going to choke. Still, it was sad to see the building in such a dilapidated state. Even worse that the entire paper seemed to have been driven out. Galbadia was up to something here and it was obvious they did not want the rest of the world to know about it.

While the area around the main square seemed to be in decent enough shape over all, as Rinoa continued on her way she began to notice the city showing signs of distress. Several blocks away, especially towards the north side of town, blackened towers rose where nice neighborhoods had once been. A glance down a darkened alley provided a view of trash strewn streets and broken down vehicles. In the days when she had first come to Timber nowhere had been like this. A deep sadness washed over Rinoa as her booted feet scuffed along the cobbled road. Timber was rotting and the disease was the Galbadian military. She clenched her teeth and quickened her pace covering the last few blocks to the Timber hotel.

Within the space of a few minutes she was back in a brightly lit, well-kept area. The Timber Hotel stood its old familiar self, warm light shining like beacons from its windows. Rinoa looked up at the hiss of steam and a little smile crept onto her lips. The sign for the Hotel still contained its display of steam powered cogs and pistons; a nod back to Timber’s roots when all the trains in town blew billows of white smoke into the air. She was glad to see at least this had not changed. Her heart skipped a little bit as she passed through the revolving glass doors to catch sight of the model train still on display in the lobby. Everything looked exactly like she had remembered it, down to the railway crossing arm that blocked off the interior of the Hotel. Rinoa let out a sigh. She felt like she had come home.

Glancing around the lobby she spied a young man behind the desk. Though the Timber Hotel was familiar territory to her she was glad to see Mrs. DiMarco was not behind the counter. Out of anyone she was sure the owner’s wife would recognize her. Rinoa could not remember how many nights she had spent in the place but for several months after she had left Deling city it had been her home and Mrs. DiMarco had become a trusted confidant.

She did want to know if the DiMarco family was still around though. Things seemed to be pretty tense all over Timber and she hoped they were doing alright. When she asked about them at the counter the young clerk replied that the DiMarcos were indeed still the owners and that he would be more than happy to pass on a message to them if she liked.

Rinoa politely declined before booking a room for the night, signing her name in the guest book as Julia D’Angelo. The name of course was a combination of her mother’s and constant furry companion’s. She had used the false identity in the past when she joined the Owls and only Zone and Watts knew about it.

When she went to pay however Rinoa paused. The bank card she held in her hand had both her real name and Squall’s on it. Gripping it tightly she slipped it back into her bag and with a tight lipped smile dug out the correct amount of gil. For the past several years Rinoa had thought nothing of using the little gold plastic card Squall had given her. It was directly connected to his Garden issued expense account and he rarely used it himself. While Squall’s salary and the perks that came with it had been more than enough to support both of them Rinoa felt a little guilty about using it. Until that moment her and Squall’s ventures had been in joint interest for the most part. Now that she was out on her own the act of using someone else’s money left a bad taste in her mouth. Not to mention it would blow her cover.

Angelo waited patiently at her Rinoa’s side though the dog did glance around with bright eyes. She had been here before; in fact her earliest memory as a pup had been in this very lobby the night Rinoa had taken her from the pet shop by the station. Angelo chuffed a greeting at the clerk then followed the young woman into the heart of the Hotel.

As Rinoa approached the stairwell she heard a bevy of voices coming from the lounge area. In times past the room had consisted of a few tables and a small bar. At a quick glance as she passed she noted the area had rather expanded in size and was packed with people. She wondered if some of the other bars in the area had closed down for the Hotel lounge to be so flush with people. Pressing her lips together she silently hoped it would clear out some. With the way things had sounded in Watts’ letter he might not show if there were too many people about.

It was not hard to find her room; the Hotel had four floors including the lobby and the layout of each was the same. Making a right into the corridor Rinoa spotted room 307, quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside. Flicking on the lamp she took in the space that might very well be her home again for some time. A small bathroom lay to her left; toilet room then a sliding door to the bath beyond; pretty typical setup. Ahead lay an open room with a queen sized bed covered in the same nondescript brown comforter that had been there four years ago. At the foot of the bed sat a small table with two chairs as well as an old Timber depot bench pushed against the wall. It seemed the DiMarcos had not updated the rooms since her last stay. Still, it was clean and tidy and after dropping her bag on the edge of the bed Rinoa flopped down with a great sigh.

Angelo jumped up onto the bed with a thump and snuffled next to Rinoa’s ear. Her mistress was obviously troubled and while the trip so far had piqued the dog’s interest she was now beginning to wonder at the absence of Rinoa’s companion. Squall was not with them. Angelo whined a little before scooting under Rinoa’s arm doing her doggie best to cheer her up.

After playing dead for a few moments Rinoa could not help giggling a little at Angelo’s insistence for attention. She wrapped her arm around the dog’s neck and pulled them both over onto their backs. “You always know, don’t you?” Her voice was soft as she rubbed at Angelo’s furry belly. The dog wiggled and gave her cheek a quick lick in reply. 

Rinoa continued to run her hands through the dog’s soft fur finding the action soothing. Angelo had been her near constant companion for five years now and she was grateful every day for the dogs company. There had been some pretty lonely times of late and without Angelo things would have been even harder. Rinoa gave the dog another hug before sitting up and tackling her with vigorous tickles.

A heavy thump stilled both Rinoa and Angelo. With all their wiggling Rinoa’s bag had come open spilling some of its contents onto the floor. Pushing the dog aside Rinoa eased over to the end of the bed with a sigh to inspect the mess they had made. A pair of golden bangles gleamed dully on the dark carpet. She had almost forgotten about them. The magical items seemed to give off a low hum and the blue gems affixed to the metal pulsed with a soft radiant light. Gingerly Rinoa slid off the bed and out of her hooded jacket. Using the garment as a barrier she slowly crouched down and picked up the heavy metal cuffs. Light shock waves rippled up through her arms. Even with the protective layer of the jacket the Odine bangles reacted to her magic. She winced slightly then dropped them onto the table before placing her jacket over them.

Rinoa had acquired the bangles on a trip with Squall to Esthar early on in their relationship. He had not been particularly happy about it. Arguing that no one knew the long term effects of using such items and that she did not need them anyway. Besides, he was not fond of Dr. Odine’s methods. There was no reason to give the man any excuse to contact them let alone try and convince Riona to be a part of his deranged experiments.

Still Rinoa had persisted and Squall had reluctantly given in to her eventually. She had not planned on wearing them but should the worst happen… It was something neither liked to talk about and while Rinoa voiced her fears that Hyne’s power might eventually devour her, Squall had only assured her that he would never let that happen. The thought had been comforting and the unspoken bond between them had grown even stronger. He was her knight and would always stand with her. He had promised.

Except he was not here now. Rinoa bit hard into her lip, her mood suddenly plummeting. She wanted his support. No, needed it right now more than ever but once again she had let her emotions run away with her. She had left before they could resolve things and now the guilt was doubly strong. How could he not understand how important this was? Her thoughts churned coming up with excuses and reasons in turn, back and forth. Was she wrong? Was she right? Maybe she should not have just left?

Eventually Rinoa conceded to changing and going downstairs. All this thinking was not doing her any favors. She would wait in the bar for Watts and if he did not show tonight at least she could drink and maybe pick up on some of the local gossip. At any rate it would keep her mind busy.

Dressed in dark leggings, boots and a long sleeved shirt Rinoa made her way back downstairs. Angelo had of course whined a little about not being able to go but she figured it best to keep the dog confined for the time being. Not that Angelo was not well trained but the sheer amount of people in the lounge would be distracting to the animal at best. As she moved down the stairs Rinoa wound her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. It was not the greatest disguise by any means but she typically wore her hair down so she thought it might help to wear it differently.

To her annoyance the lounge was still fairly full. As she stepped into the room she had to peer through a thick haze of cigarette smoke. The bar was lively with almost every seat taken and the tables were crowded too. A small stage had been erected in one corner but it did not look to be set up for a performer tonight. Some Galbadian jazz was being piped in through a few scattered wall mounted speakers. As Rinoa made her way to the bar she tried to take notice of just who was occupying the room. A handful of uniformed Galbadian soldiers had taken up residence in one of the booths but overall the patrons appeared to be mostly civilians.

Rinoa slipped onto a stool between a woman in a purple flowered dress and a man that was built like a brick wall, neither seemed to give any indication that they noticed her presence. After several moments Rinoa was able to flag down the bartender and ordered a glass of rose wine. The woman behind the counter raised an eyebrow at Rinoa’s order, obviously used to serving hard liquor and beer over wine. She did not bother to card her though, not that it mattered in Timber anyway, the legal drinking age was twenty. Soon she brought her a glass of the delicate floral flavored drink.

Rinoa raised it to her lips and was instantly flooded with a memory. The taste brought her back to the first time her and Squall had gone on a real date. He had taken her to a quaint little seaside restaurant along the pier and they had toasted to their first dance. It had been almost unbearably romantic and the remembered emotions stuck in Rinoa’s throat. She quickly sat her glass back down and did another scan of the room.

As far as she could tell there were no familiar faces. She only hoped that if Watts did show tonight he would be able to spot her. They had not seen each other in close to four years but surely he would remember her face. This was all banking on if he received her letter from earlier in the day. It had been a bit of a gamble sending it so close to her departure but Rinoa had been anxious to leave. Even if she had to wait a few days for him to contact her it would be worth it.

The soldiers in the back were starting to get noisy and the tension in the room immediately went up. Rinoa cringed at some of their inappropriate comments. After some placating from the waitress and a round of free drinks they seemed to calm down though.

“Bastards…think they can get away with whatever they want.” A man grumbled under his breath next to her.

The woman in the flowered dress had vacated and now a short, stocky man sat in her seat. Rinoa did not look at him too closely though she turned back to the bar and nodded that she shared his sentiment. She wondered if some of the other resistance factions were still around in Timber. Maybe this man was one of them though she thought better than to fish for information.

“Buy you a drink, princess?” The man swiveled in his seat towards her, his body language giving her little choice but to turn towards him.  
Rinoa’s anger flared. She had not heard that moniker in a long time and she had never particularly cared for it anyway. The fact that a stranger would use it flat out rankled her. She was about to give this jerk a piece of her mind but when she finally turned to face him her jaw dropped. He was older for sure, dark stubble along his jaw and messy hair unkempt but his friendly little smile was what gave him away.

“Watts!” She said it before she could think and watched him visibly cringe when she called out his name. Luckily for the both of them the background noise in the lounge provided enough audio interference no one seemed to notice her blunder. Rinoa clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and apologetic.

Watts raised a placating hand. No harm done though he did seem to shrink deeper into the high collar on his jacket. “I got your letter a little over an hour ago.” He kept his voice low so that she had to lean in close to properly hear him. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her but they would have to wait. She looked well, good even but there was a melancholy about her eyes that did not sit well with him. “I can’t stay long.” Watts finally conceded though he did wave the bartender over to make an order for himself.

Rinoa watched as the bartender poured him a glass of mimmet on the rocks. Strong stuff she thought. Back in the day Watts had always been the one to politely decline any of the alcohol her and Zone had managed to procure. She noticed however that once poured Watts merely played with the glass. He seemed more interested in the napkin underneath.

His behavior unsettled Rinoa. Sure there were Galbadian soldiers sitting in the back but they were drunk and completely absorbed in their own conversation. She watched as Watts finally lifted the glass of liquor to his lips but only took a small sip. When he set it back down he pushed the drink her way sliding the napkin along with it.

“You look like you could use this more than me.” He said a little louder than necessary acting almost as if she had offended him. “Suit yourself lady.” Watts scoffed before standing and making off through the lounge doors.

Her brows knit in confusion and she almost reached after him. Something was up. Looking down at his glass though she noticed one corner of the napkin folded up slightly. Narrowing her eyes she slipped the square of paper out and flipped it over. On the back was an address and underneath, “But the owls are still around.” Rinoa quickly folded the note and slipped it into her pocket. Obviously she was supposed to go to that address. Suddenly a nervous bubble burst in her stomach and she grabbed Watts’ drink, knocking back a big gulp. Tomorrow there was no turning back.


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

Rinoa’s eyes snapped open as she woke from a fitful sleep. The little digital clock reading 2:00 AM in blurry red numbers stared back at her from the nightstand. A particularly nasty nightmare had woken her, one she had not had for quite some time. Trembling in the dark she could almost feel the bruises on her arm left by a pair of large gloved hands. She dared not close her eyes again for fear of seeing the monstrous face of Adel leering down at her. The ghost of a feeling; being absorbed, made her shudder. Rinoa hated that of all times those memories had come back to haunt her now. “They’re gone.” She whispered to herself, clinging close to Angelo for comfort. The little shepherd whimpered and snuggled closer to her.

Eventually Rinoa managed to doze off again but her wakeup call came at an early hour. Grey dawn light filtered in through lace curtains. The look of the sky told Rinoa it was going to be a dreary and damp day. Better dress for it she told herself before rolling out of bed and trudging into the bathroom her bag in hand. The glass of mimett last night as well as her disrupted sleep had left her feeling a bit rocky and she pulled out a small potion bottle. One thing she had learned early on was while not exactly cheap, a potion made one hell of a hangover cure. She downed the glowing green liquid in one gulp then tossed the bottle in the trash. Before she even stepped in the shower she was already feeling better.

A half hour later with Angelo prancing about to go outside Rinoa made her way downstairs and through the lobby carrying her bag over one shoulder. The area was empty and aside from the whirring of the little model train’s mechanisms, fairly quiet. A small assortment of breakfast items had been spread out on a sideboard and Rinoa snatched a piece of toast and cup of coffee before heading out into the now quiet streets of Timber.

It had rained the night before leaving the cobbled streets looking darker than their original color. Rinoa was glad she had brought a rain jacket; Timber was rainy this time of year. A yawn escaped her as she waited for Angelo to complete her business. Reaching a hand deep into her pocket she brushed the edge of the napkin Watts had left last night. Glancing about she noted the streets were practically deserted and pulled the scrap out to read over the address one more time. With a low whistle Angelo came to her side and they set off through the sleepy city. Her feet took her to the end of the square and she made a right alongside the old Timber Maniacs building. Walking through the narrow corridor between building and railroad tracks Rinoa’s memory pulled her into the past.

She had been fifteen when she first came to Timber, frustrated and fed up with her father and the injustices of the world. Though if she had been honest with herself then the passing of her mother had still been affecting her as well. Things had changed since the car accident and as the years went by her father had become so overbearing Rinoa thought she might suffocate. They fought a lot during that time and the result was Rinoa leaving school and Deling and making her way here. Why she picked Timber she could not have said. Maybe it had just been the first place to pop into her head. Regardless it had changed her path in ways she could never have imagined.

Emerging from the covered walkway Rinoa took another right. The street she was supposed to go to was located in one of the older shopping districts if she remembered correctly. Zone and Watts had told her since the TV station had gone up that most of the businesses had moved elsewhere though people still resided off the main streets in tiny houses and apartments. With the TV station being so massive and towering it blocked out a lot of the natural light leaving the district in near constant shadow.

Rinoa could feel the temperature drop slightly as she neared her destination. Though the morning was far from sunny there was a clear delineation when she crossed the boundary into the TV district. She paused for a moment and let her head fall back. Sure enough the underside of the station loomed several hundred feet above her, blocking out the sky. Now that she thought about it the place seemed a monstrosity that did not belong in Timber at all. Though the place had been built before she was born Rinoa was sure the surrounding area had been a nice neighborhood once upon a time.

She pulled her hood up and walked on. A breeze blew bits of trash down the street towards her and there was an eerie silence that settled into her bones causing the hair to rise up on her neck. The area looked completely abandoned while just a few blocks away the city square and rail station were thriving. Even Deling did not have any completely abandoned areas, though granted the economy there was in much better shape. Had things really gotten that bad?

In another block Rinoa had her answer. Lining the streets on either side were the charred remains of what must have been businesses at some point. Broken glass and bits of blackened timber littered the sidewalk. The entire block had been burnt out. Rinoa swallowed hard, feeling a spike of anger rise up through her chest. Signs of conflict were everywhere. Empty shell casings sat in piles behind makeshift barricades. The telltale sign of para-magic had left its mark on an overturned car. The resistance had fought here and the resistance had lost. She knew now that the Owls needed her more than ever. With growing resolve she pushed on.

Taking a look at the address again Rinoa compared it to the numbers on the buildings, though she had to look carefully for some. She was getting close and as she got further away from the burnt out block things began to get easier to navigate again. An old flower shop sat like a derelict ghost; its blackened windows and open door looked like a face about to weep. Old baskets swung from a ripped red and white awning the dried contents crackling with each gust of wind. It had to be close now Rinoa mused trying to not let her surroundings depress her too much. This was why she was here but there was a sense of guilt that gnawed at her. She had been gone far too long.

Catching sight of a store sign across the street Rinoa recognized the number on the slip. The building rose three floors above her and looked to be an old department store. She looked up and down the street. This address looked just as abandoned as the rest but she shrugged and cautiously tried the door. It was locked tight from the inside. Rinoa crossed her arms with a huff. How was she supposed to get in?

After looking around for a bit she spotted a narrow gap between the building and the next. Maybe there was an alley or a side door? Angelo whined at the prospect of squeezing into such a narrow space. “You can wait here then.” Rinoa told the dog before peering down alongside the building. It looked as though it opened out wider about half way down. If there was a side door she had to at least try it. There really was no other way so Rinoa squeezed herself into the space and began to shimmy sideways along the wall.

Angelo paced back and forth in front of the opening looking longingly after her mistress. When Rinoa finally emerged into a more open area and she called, Angelo wasted no time in squeezing herself through. She disliked the way her fur caught on the rough bricks but it was only a minor annoyance. After a few minutes the dog popped out of the crevice and gave herself a good shake sending dust and debris into a hazy cloud around her. One good sneeze to clear her nose and she was back at Rinoa’s side.

Sure enough there was a side entrance that looked like it had once been used for deliveries. The building next door was newer and when it was built had obviously made this door unusable. Timber must have not had very strict building codes back in the day. The area did make a sort of courtyard though, which she was sure employees used when the store was still in operation. Even now there was a small bench and remnants of old cigarette butts littered the ground.

Rinoa put her hand to the door and pushed, it gave with surprising ease. She and Angelo stepped into the gloomy interior. Despite its age and apparent disuse the store was fairly clean. The expected layers of dust were not present and aside from a few creepy mannequins the place looked to be in decent shape. It was apparent that people had been here recently.

“Hello.” Rinoa called out tentatively. She was unsure if Watts was supposed to meet her or if she needed to venture further into the building. “I’m a friend of Zone and Watts.” Her voice echoed back at her hollowly. Maybe a little exploring was in order.

On principle Rinoa did not like to use her magic, even under the most innocuous of circumstances. After the final battle she had even gone so far as to completely un-junction her Guardian Forces. Despite the lack of their power there had been no difference. She found out pretty quickly that she could still cast and that she no longer needed to draw or stock magic to do so. It was a constant reminder that she was not quite normal.

Seeing no other way to illuminate her surroundings she gave in and conjured a small fire spell in her palm. The little orange and yellow flame flickered happily and Rinoa stared at it for a moment. This was not para-magic. It did not come from some beast or the earth. This came from the magic that flowed in her veins. Though it was the barest representation of her power Rinoa had to suppress the urge to snuff it out. The light dimmed as little electric tingles ran through her limb but she quieted herself and the flame jumped back to life. “Come on Angelo. Let’s look around.”

The main floor provided little clue as to where she was supposed to go and after an unsuccessful search of the upper floors, that left nothing but the basement. It took her a moment to locate the entrance. A large trap door behind one of the counters seemed to be the only way in and it too was free from years of dust and sediment. Rinoa crouched and pulled finding the door swung up rather easily. A wide set of steps led down into the gloom but if she squinted she could almost see what appeared to be a light far off in the back. Somebody was here and Rinoa was determined to find them. Watts would not have led her here otherwise.

Cautiously she moved down the steps, urging Angelo to stay close by. Reluctantly Rinoa pulled the trap door back into place behind her. Her little flame and the strange, dim light in the distance were the only things to guide her. The basement, though large, looked like any other. From what she could see various boxes and crates were stacked about, their contents no doubt forgotten long ago and perhaps even rotted to dust. The floor however was clear ahead of her so she pressed onward.

The basement seemed to go on forever and the deeper she went the more crowded things became. If the resistance were indeed using this place as a hideout this was not the main entrance. Rinoa surmised that only a couple of people at a time would be able to move through the stacks of debris without causing too much commotion. Steadily the light got closer and Rinoa no longer feared that she would be trapped in the dark and musty maze.

A heavy steel door was outlined by a small bulb encaged in protective wire. There was a small portal at the top but it was missing its glass and Rinoa saw no other discernible way to go. Slowly she reached for the large handle but the click of a rifle brought her up short.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

“Stop right there.” Menacing words filtered out of the portal. They were hard and unyielding as the steel door that blocked Rinoa’s path. “Who are you and what do you want?”

Rinoa swallowed the lump in her throat, quieting the low growl from Angelo with a nervous stroke to the dog’s head. The unexpected rough questioning destabilized her. “I…I’m friends with Watts and Zone. Watts told me to come here.” A guard posted at the entrance would not have normally phased her but the addition of a firearm left Rinoa feeling spooked. With every step she saw more clearly into the desperate crisis that Timber was embroiled in.

“He told me to say that the owls are still around.” The old code words felt strangely heavy coming from her mouth. It was as if she had never said them before, let alone helped to come up with them. The person on the other side of the door obviously had no idea who she was. Well, Rinoa had wanted to conceal her identity. “I just want to help. I was part of the Forest Owls some years ago before I had to leave Timber.” The explanation sounded lame, but nevertheless the heavy door squealed open on its rusty hinges.

Angelo stuck her nose around the door and sniffed but did not advance until Rinoa took that first step into the gloom beyond. She did not recognize the human’s scent on the other side or anything else in the long corridor ahead of them. Her ears did prick forward however at the sound of distant human voices, likely too soft for her human companion to hear. 

The dog tilted her head back to look up at the human with the hard voice. She had short hair and a muscular build, her weapon held across the front of her body at the ready. Angelo did not think the woman would hurt Rinoa but she stayed on the alert anyway. Guns were nothing to bark at.

The tunnel that arched over their heads was lined in brick and though the red had faded with age and cracked in some places it seemed to be stable enough. From appearances they had to be in an old access tunnel and Rinoa wondered just how far it went underground. She had learned a long time ago about the abandoned railway tunnels beneath Timber but had never actually seen them. In the early days when Timber had been nothing but a small logging town these lines were built beneath the city to carry lumber into the more desert regions of Galbadia. The forests had originally been so dense and vast the only option had been to build the lines underground until enough land was cleared. Eventually that had happened and the old lines were abandoned for the safer and more easily accessible above ground routes.

The guard inclined her head and started off down the tunnel thinking to herself that this pampered looking girl did not belong here. Her hair was far too perfect; her clothes too neat and clean. Hyne, there wasn’t even a speck of dirt under her fingernails. What was Watts thinking? But she kept her peace and continued onward. Maybe this girl had connections that they needed? She certainly looked like she was flush with gil if not a sensible brain cell in her head. The dog was another matter. The mutt would surely just get in the way. Even if it was well trained an animal had no place down here. 

Rinoa followed the surely looking woman wondering if she should perhaps introduce herself. She bit her tongue though not wanting to press her luck any further. Surely once she got settled in Watts and Zone would introduce her to the people she needed to know. In the years since her absence she wondered just how big the Forest Owls had gotten. With things being as bad as they seemed Rinoa hoped they had a good following now. In the early days it had been hard to pull off any big plans with their limited numbers, which was the reason she had pushed to get SeeDs involved in the first place. That plan had unfortunately backfired and carried her far away from Timber. A little frown set on her face as Rinoa pulled her jacket tighter against the damp underground air.

Soon the sound of voices filled the tunnel and when Rinoa looked up her guide had led them into a large room with a domed ceiling. It was constructed of brick, concrete and heaving wooden beams. Several wires spiderwebbed across the open space dripping dirty glass bulbs from their lines like caught fireflies.

When she looked around Rinoa was surprised at the number of people gathered, perhaps twenty five, maybe more. It was hard to tell for certain in the crowded space. No one seemed to notice her entrance and when she turned to look for the woman who had brought her this far she was gone. Rinoa squeezed along the back wall finding a spot for her and Angelo to stand. These people had gathered for something and everyone’s attention was directed towards an open space on the opposite side of the room.

She did not have to wait for long, in a few moments a man came in and stepped up on some sort of platform at the front of the crowd. Rinoa had to crane her neck around people to see but she relaxed at the sight of a familiar face. Zone stood with his hands raised for silence. He had not changed much though his hair was a little longer and his frame was filled out more. Maybe he was a bit taller too. Despite that she would recognize him anywhere.

Rinoa suppressed a bit of a smile; it seemed he had gotten over his fear of public speaking. In the past he would have been bent over double with stomach pains. The first time they had ever met he had to run off soon into their conversation. Watts had explained that Zone’s stomach always bothered him when he got nervous. At the time Rinoa could not have guessed why Zone had been so nervous around her but a few months later that had sorted itself out. She bit her lip at the memory. Hyne that had been so long ago, back before she had really known anything about anything. Back when she thought changing the world was as easy as just having a dream.

Zone’s voice echoed in the large rotunda of the room; no need for a microphone. The crowd finally quieted and he began to explain that a military supply shipment would be coming in by train tomorrow afternoon. Intel had provided them with the contents and there was quite a bit of weaponry as well as rations and general supplies; all things that would be helpful to the resistance movement. Zone reminded them that although things might appear desperate they still had the upper hand. The Owls were fighting on their own turf and no amount of Galbadian soldiers could keep them from their goal. They would continue to work to rid the city of Galbadian influence and every soldier they took out, every supply train they disrupted, was a victory.

Zone paused and a look came over his face that Rinoa had never seen before, a look of hard resignation. “Let us not forget our fallen brothers and sisters. They believed that Timber should be free of Galbadia’s tyranny, free to make political and economic decisions. The Forest Owls will continue in that belief and push hard to grant those rights to all of Timber’s citizens.”

For half a heartbeat the room was silent then a chorus of cheers and clapping rose into the air like so much auditory confetti. Zone raised his hands again and the crowd quieted once more. “I will be assigning positions for the raid tomorrow. Come to me if you have any questions or any information from the past twenty four hours.”

The crowd began to disperse and as people moved about the sound of Angelo’s whine caught Rinoa’s attention. She knelt down next to the shepherd running a calming hand down the dog’s spine. Angelo seemed very intent on something in the crowd. Rinoa looked to her companion inquisitively and the shepherd danced from one paw to the other giving her mistress a quick nudge under the arm.

“What’s this all about now?” Rinoa asked out loud. She did not have time to dwell on it though as a familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts and when she stood to look Watts was coming her way.

“You made it!” He said with quite a bit more enthusiasm than at their initial meeting the previous night. “Welcome to the new Headquarters for the Forest Owls!” Watts cast his hand around grandly at the room looking mighty pleased with himself. “I was the one who discovered the entrance in the store above about six months ago. We’ve been spiffing up the place since then.”

“Well you certainly didn’t leave me with a lot of information to go on.” Her mouth quirked into a little smile though and she embraced him in a big hug. “You had me pretty worried last night actually. There are soldiers everywhere. Have things really gotten that bad?” She let him go then stepped back a pace, wrapping a hand over her forearm.

“There’s a lot more soldiers, ya but…” Watts jerked his head, “common, Zone can explain everything to ya.” He began moving off through the crowd and Rinoa kept a short step behind.

Watts led her through an arched opening and down another long tunnel. She would have to be careful and try to memorize the different paths. The place was practically set up like a rabbit warren. Rinoa could see how easy it would be to get lost down here. The lighting was not great either. Aside from the large open room behind them the long corridors were lit rather sporadically with old fashioned lanterns and the occasional bare bulb.

“Sorry for the mess.” Watts broke the silence. “When we first came down here the place was a real wreck. We’ve been taking shifts to clear some areas out, though most of us would rather be up working in the town. I’m still gathering information on a regular basis so I’ve not been stuck down here much but I know some of the others are getting antsy.”

“How many members do we have now?” She asked without thinking. There was really no ‘we’ anymore. Though she had never considered her absence from the Owls to be permanent, Rinoa had certainly been gone long enough that new members would not likely take well to her being in a decision making position right away. She had a creeping feeling that she would have to work up from the bottom to earn these people’s respect. Oh well, She had done it before and she would do it again. Rinoa was no stranger to adversity. 

“Oh, uh…right, we’ve got about fifty or so members though only around thirty are active at any given time. Many have families and shops to run so their involvement is minimal at best but they do provide a great source of intel and places for members to stay if they can’t make it back to base.”

“Wow, that many! Numbers have definitely improved.” She commented feeling a mixture of pride and sadness. Zone and Watts must have worked really hard to recruit them all to their cause. They had accomplished a lot in her absence.

Before she had too much time to think on that though Watts stopped them outside a closed door. Made of some sort of grey metal it looked like every single one of the others they had passed by in the last few minutes. How he could tell the difference was beyond Rinoa.

Watts merely nodded at her comments and opened the door. Inside was a fairly organized space; an old desk sat backed up to one wall with monitors and a computer terminal sitting on it. One wall had several maps tacked up of Timber, the surrounding area and schematics for the underground lines. A couple of bookshelves that looked like they could collapse at any moment held their contents precariously. A couple of folding chairs that had seen better days sat opened in the center of the room. Zone was standing with his arms crossed studying one of the maps.

“So, our princess has returned.” Zone’s voice was sour sounding. When he turned around he kept his arms crossed. He did not look pleased to see Rinoa standing there.

“Well uh, I’ll just let you two catch up then.” Watts backed up, a sheepish look on his face. He was out of the room, shutting the door quickly behind him before Rinoa could question him about Zone’s attitude.

The harsh greeting confused her and sent a little prickle of pain straight to her heart. “Nice to see you too Zone.” Rinoa said warily. What’s his deal? She internally groused as Angelo nosed herself between Rinoa’s legs, giving Zone the once over before setting off into a display of happy wiggles and chuffing.

Zone did crack a small smile at that. “See you’ve still got the dog.” He kneeled down and beckoned for Angelo to come to him which she did with a great bound and several licks to his face. “Easy girl, easy.” He gave her a few good pats before standing back up to get away from her exuberant tongue. Without the attention Angelo went to sniff about the room.

Despite Angelo’s greeting the two faced each other in silence for several tense moments. “I came back as soon as I could.” Rinoa’s voice turned serious. Zone was upset with her, that much was clear but he could not blame her for the way her path had gone.

Zone huffed. “It’s been four years, Rinoa. Four years without so much as a letter. Four years without coming back to check up on us. Not to mention zero explanation as to the whole sorceress thing! We had to find out about it with the rest of the world.”

Zone shoved his hands down deep into his pockets wishing their reunion did not have to go this way. “Hyne though, I wanted you to leave. At least with those SeeDs I thought you would be safe. I thought…” he trailed off shaking his head. “But you promised, promised we’d liberate Timber together.” His dark eyes searched her face, willing her to answer him.

“I know Zone!” Sorceress; even here she could not escape it and the bubbles of uncertainty turned into little bursts of anger. This was not the homecoming she had envisioned and her emotions quickly surfaced. “So much happened; I barely had a moment to myself after…” Rinoa paused knowing that she could have come back sooner, that she could have written and explained things. But she had waited too long for that and now she was desperate to make up for lost time.   
“Look, I’m here now. This is important to me and I want to help in any way that I can.” She took a step forward and the pain in her heart expanded knowing that she had hurt an old friend so badly. “ I’m sorry. Just…just tell me what I can do. I know I can be of some help.”

Zone let out a sigh, his tone growing softer. “Alright. I sure hope all that time you spent with those mercenaries taught you a thing or two. If the stories are true, you could be our biggest ally. But for now I need you to lay low. Should you be seen with us and someone recognizes you we would have the whole Galbadian army on our backs in nothing flat. It can’t get out that the sorceress is working on the side of the resistance.”

That last statement stopped her train of thought. Rinoa knew he was right though and mentally chastised herself for not considering it. Just by her being here she put the whole operation in danger. She bit her lip. “Tell me what do I need to do?”

“Change how you look for one thing.” Zone snorted as if stating the obvious. “You stick out like a sore thumb around here. I’m surprised someone hasn’t recognized who you are already. Honestly though, things are too bad around here for people to really care.” He gave her a look that said she would have to be blind to have not seen that. “People are scared and we’re all they’ve got. If you blow this for us, their lives will be on your hands.”

His words chilled her to the bone. “I’m not going to screw up. Have a little faith in me!” Rinoa turned away from him hugging her arms tight across her chest. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t have come back sooner. Just…just give me whatever orders you think I can carry out and I’ll do them. I want to help Zone. I want to make up for the time that I’ve lost.” While her words were true she did not regret her time spent in Balamb Garden or with squall. His face flashed through her mind and she thought she might cry right there. She missed him so badly already but right now that was the last thing she needed to be thinking about.

“Can I stay here? Is there room for us?” Rinoa reached down and gave Angelo a scratch behind the ear. The dog had come to her side at the first sound of raised voices and looked worriedly between the two humans.

“Place is plenty big enough. Watts will find a place for you to crash. Now get out of here. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” Zone turned his back on her and went back to studying the maps on the wall.

Rinoa reminded herself to retract her earlier thought that he had not changed much. The Zone she had known would have never been so cold. “Common Angelo.” She opened the door and motioned for the dog to go ahead of her. Hopefully Watts was not too far off. If he was then Rinoa could waste the better part of the day looking for him.


	5. Chapter 5

Luckily Watts had not wandered off too far down the corridor and Rinoa soon found him flipping through a tattered magazine while he leaned against a stack of old shipping crates. He raised an eyebrow at her approach noting the serious look on her face. “Zone chew you a new one?”

“You could have at least warned me!” Rinoa swiped the magazine from his hands and smacked him over the head with it. “Why didn’t you tell me he was that upset about me being gone?” If she were honest with herself though the answer was pretty plain to see; Watts had always avoided conflict like the plague. Funny though that he ended up being a member of an anti-government resistance movement. Of course in the past he had really only been their information gofer. Rinoa began to wonder if he had changed as well.

Watts grimaced as the magazine came down on his head though between his hat and thick mop of hair he barely felt it. “Sorry Rinoa! I just thought it would be better for you two to hash it out on your own. I didn’t know he was that upset about it.” He mumbled giving her a side eyed look that pleaded innocence.

“My foot you didn’t know.” Rinoa sighed and tossed the magazine on to the pile of crates. “Doesn’t matter now I guess, the damage has been done. I mean, it’s Zone, he’ll cool off in a while...right?” Her uncertainty did little to quell the rising bubble of anxiety in her chest.

Rinoa pushed it aside, changing the subject before Watts could respond. “He said to ask you to find me a place to sleep. Besides I don’t think going back to the Hotel would be a good idea anyway.” She indicated the bag on her shoulder that she had been hauling around all morning. “I promise we won’t take up too much space.” Angelo whined a little.

“You’re not mad at me then?” Watts asked a little sheepishly, twisting his hands in the worn pockets of his pants. Rinoa had always felt a little bit like an older sibling and Watts felt like he was getting a good chiding. 

Rinoa gave a little sigh then chuckled, “No and even if I was I couldn’t stay mad at you for long.” She brushed her hair behind her ear. “Lead the way and show me these excellent accommodations I hear you have.” The playfulness in her voice eased the tension between the two of them and soon Watts was leading her through another maze of corridors on the other side of the large meeting room.

After what seemed like more twists and turns than Rinoa could count Watts stopped at a door. A door that looked exactly like every other one they had passed in the last few minutes. “How do you find your way around here? Everything looks the same.” Rinoa glanced up to the arched brick ceiling above her head.

“I’ll get you a copy of the maps. It’s really not that difficult once you get the main layout memorized. If you get lost just keep making right turns and you’ll end up back in the main room. The place isn’t as big as it seems. Well, at least the parts we’ve managed to make habitable anyway.” Watts pushed the handle down and the metal door complained with age before he led them inside.

The room was long and narrow with a row of lockers lining one side. Yellowed slips of paper were peeling away from the front with faded names inked on them no doubt from the workers who once used these tunnels decades ago. At the far end stood a tiny wash basin with a grimy mirror above and two camping style cots sat to either side.

“You’ve got running water in the back there and you can use one of the lockers to store your things. There are two beds but no one else is using this room right now so you’ve got the place to yourself for the time being. If you need it there’s a washroom down the hall. There’s even hot water!” He looked around the dingy room. “I know it ain’t fancy but it beats sleeping out in the cold that’s for sure. ” Watts smiled looking rather pleased with himself. “This was one of the rooms I discovered. Had a big ol’ filing cabinet sitting in front of it, took me and two other guys just to move it out of the way.”

Rinoa slipped in beside him. The fact there was hot water was definitely a plus but... “When were you guys sleeping outside?” She tried to keep the shock out of her voice. In the past the three of them had been welcomed at almost any home in the city. The state of things had to be bad if people were so afraid they were turning the Owls away.

“Oh, uh, well last winter there was a big influx of soldiers. They were searching people’s houses so we had to scram. Spent a couple of months out in the woods but things calmed down eventually.” He offered a nonchalant shrug but that winter had been really difficult. They had lost a lot of members that year.

“Mmm,” Rinoa pressed her lips tight together. “Well looks like you’ve done a bang up job here. Once I get settled in just let me know what I can do to help.” She decided it was better not to press the conversation, not really wanting to know the details anyway.

“Sure thing! I’ll come find ya in a couple of hours. Bring some food and those maps I promised. Just don’t go wandering too far.” Watts headed back up the aisle of lockers and slipped out the door leaving Rinoa and Angelo on their own in the silence of the underground.

“Place sure is quiet.” She commented before dropping her bag onto one of the cots. Suddenly a couple hours seemed like a long time. What was she supposed to do while Watts was gone? Rinoa would go crazy if she just had to sit around and do nothing. Hands on her hips Rinoa turned to the lockers. Maybe she would snoop around a bit, see if there was anything useful. 

Most of them turned out to be empty but in one she found an old sewing kit. The thread had pretty much rotted away but there were a few buttons, needles and a small pair of scissors that seemed to be in decent enough shape. She tucked the kit into her pocket and looked around the strangely narrow room again. It was dimly lit and kind of depressing really. 

Feeling a little disheartened Rinoa sat on her cot and called Angelo over to her. The dog rubbed up happily against her legs and leaned her head into her mistress’ lap. Rinoa felt antsy and the longer she sat there the more fidgety she got until Angelo could no longer take the ruffling of her fur and peeled herself away to go lay on the cot opposite.

Rinoa barely noticed, so caught up in her own thoughts again. She really had no right to be upset with Zone. He was right, she could have come back much sooner. As she replayed the conversation in her head his comment about changing her appearance struck her. How in the hell was she supposed to do that? Getting up she paced a little before moving over to the little sink to stare at herself in the mirror.

Her long hair hung in dark strands framing pale features. Though she had dark hair and eyes Rinoa never really could keep much of a tan. She usually got pretty crispy out in the sun if she did not keep covered up or put on sunscreen. Makeup had not been exactly on her mind this morning and she noticed the slight purplish tinge under her eyes. So many nights of not sleeping soundly were starting to catch up with her and she wondered once again if she was doing the right thing. It was a question she felt like she had been asking herself in one way or another her whole life.

Riona let out a little puff of air starting to feel a bit stifled in her jacket. At least it was fairly warm down here. When she slipped out of the garment something from her pocket dropped onto the floor. It was the little sewing kit she had picked up a few minutes early. Reaching down she scooped it up in her hands the grubby bulb overhead causing the tiny pair of scissors to glint dully in her palm.

She needed to change how she looked, right? Glancing back up into the mirror Rinoa worried her bottom lip. It was just hair right? It would grow back eventually. Her fingers trembled slightly as she drew out the scissors. Only once in her life had her hair been short and that was after a disastrous incident with a mean little boy and some chewing gum when she was five. Rinoa had hated it and wore a hat for weeks much to her mother’s chagrin. She was grown now though and there were much more important things than how she looked. Taking a deep breath she pulled one long lock away from her face, the scissors poised and ready.

Snip.

A coil of jet black hair fell softly into the sink. Rinoa was surprised to find her eyes growing wet and her image blurring before her. No turning back now. This was her choice; her bed to lie in. She could have stayed in Balamb, could have stayed with Squall but Rinoa would not hide behind Garden’s walls any longer. She had to make her own way and do what she believed was right. 

She grabbed another bit of hair and closed the scissors on it. She had to prove herself, prove to Zone that this was where she belonged and what she really cared about. Locked up on Balamb, Rinoa Heartilly felt she could not make a difference but out here it would take a gale force to stop her. Snip, snip, snip, a cloud of inky blackness tumbled down off her shoulders.

Each snip of the scissors was silent vow to do whatever she had to, well…almost anything. Rinoa could feel that coil of magic starting to rise up in her belly; her emotions longing to take physical form. There was a faint golden whisper of light settling over her skin as her powers surged to the surface. The scissors clattered into the sink and she stepped back grinding her teeth. The world was afraid of what she was but she refused to incite an all-out war.

Taking a deep breath Rinoa pushed the growing ball of magical energy back down. She would liberate Timber as herself, not as the Sorceress. When the time came though, she would change people’s minds about that as well. Rinoa Heartilly meant to change the world and it stoked a fire in her breast that had long been nothing but embers. She picked up the scissors and continued.

Once the sink was full of hair Rinoa stepped back to admire her handy work. It was far from perfect by any means but would do for the time being. She swept a jaw length lock behind her ear and dusted off the front of her shirt. She already looked different, older somehow and any reservations she had from before melted away. Her eyes cast about for a rubbish bin. She could not very well leave all that hair in the sink and soon found one tucked away in a corner. After clearing the ball of hair away Rinoa looked hard at herself again in the mirror. There had to be something else she could change.

That was when she remembered one of the last items she had tossed in her bag before leaving. In fact she had almost forgotten about it’s existence entirely. Going back to her bag she rummaged through it, careful to avoid the now tightly wrapped Odine bangles which hummed with a low pulse when she neared. Rinoa found what she was looking for at the bottom; a small, flat iridescent box. Pulling it out she went back over to the mirror.

It was an ingenious little device she had found on her and Squall’s first return to Esthar. He had taken her out into the neon lit shopping district and she had been amazed at all the different shops and their wares. Esthar being so much more technologically advanced than the rest of the world made for some truly interesting shopping experiences. Once Laguna managed to draw up some trade agreements with other countries these handy gadgets could begin working their way into the wider world.

Rinoa pressed a near invisible button on the side of the case and the top clicked open. Inside were a row of six colors, not unlike a makeup palette one might find in Deling. The shades ranged from a deep brown to greens and blues and at the very end an amber hazel. At the top at the case sat a small, pen like device about three inches in length which Rinoa plucked out with careful fingers. She contemplated the hues before deciding on one of the darker blues.

She had only used the device one other time before and it had been for a late fall harvest party the Balamb Hotel was throwing. Rinoa had chosen an eye color to match her dress and Selphie especially had been enthusiastic about how she had done it. The nostalgic fragrance of spiced cider came to mind and Rinoa felt a brief stab of longing for her friend. She hoped Selphie was thriving in Trabia.

Pulling herself back to the task at hand, Rinoa slowly touched the tip of the stylus into her chosen color and a little beep sounded to let her know it had taken. Bending forward she hovered the stick over her open eye and clicked a tiny button on the end. The dark brown color that she normally sported faded out into a deep aqua blue. Blinking once to seal the color she moved to the other side and did the same.

There, they wanted change so she gave them change. Short hair and blue eyes, now if she could only get her hands on some hair dye. Rinoa supposed that could wait till later. For now this was what she could accomplish with minimal supplies. Her ‘disguise’ in place she went to put her things away and wait for Watts to return. Rinoa figured she could spend the remainder of the evening going over the layout of this brick labyrinth that was the new base for the Forest Owls.


End file.
